Description

Review by Richie Unterberger allmusic.com
Although it's missing one or two fairly strong tracks, this three-CD, 84-song set is a pretty definitive collection of
the group's best '60s material for those who want to go beyond the greatest hits. Besides including all of their key A-
and B-sides, it has an entire disc of their best '60s album tracks. The rarities disc includes foreign-language
versions, outtakes, mid-'60s BBC performances, and solo discs by Tony Jackson and Chris Curtis. Highlights here include
an alternate take of "Someday We're Gonna Love Again," a BBC version of "Blowin' in the Wind," and
the previously unreleased "Once Upon a Time" (recorded by Dusty Springfield).

The Searchers are a British rock band who emerged as part of the 1960s merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The
Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers.

The band's hits included a remake of the Drifters' 1961 hit, "Sweets for My Sweet"; remakes of Jackie
DeShannon's "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk In The Room" "Sugar and Spice"
"Don't Throw Your Love Away" and a remake of The Clovers' "Love Potion No. 9". They were the second
group from Liverpool after the Beatles to have a hit in America when "Needles and Pins" charted during the
first week of March 1964.

Band history
Originally founded as a skiffle group in Liverpool in 1959 by John McNally and Mike Pender, the band took their name
from the classic 1956 John Wayne western The Searchers. Prendergast claims that the name was his idea, but McNally
ascribes it to 'Big Ron' Woodbridge (born Ronald Woodbridge, 1938, in Liverpool, Lancashire), their first lead singer.
The genesis remains unresolved.

The band grew out of an earlier skiffle group formed by McNally, with his friends Brian Dolan (guitar) and Tony West
(bass). When the other two members lost interest McNally was joined by his guitarist neighbour Mike Prendergast. They
soon recruited Tony Jackson (born Anthony Paul Jackson, 16 July 1938, The Dingle, Liverpool, Lancashire - died 18 August
2003, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) with his home-made bass guitar and amplifier and styled themselves 'Tony and the
Searchers' with Joe Kelly on drums. Kelly soon left to be replaced by Norman McGarry (born 1 March 1942, Liverpool,
Lancashire), and it is this line-up - McNally, Pender (as he soon became known), Jackson and McGarry - that is usually
cited as the original foursome.

McGarry did not stay long, however, and in 1960 his place was taken by Chris Crummey (who later changed his name to
Curtis). Later that year Big Ron had a successful audition with Mecca and became a ballroom singer. He was replaced by
Billy Beck, who changed his name to Johnny Sandon (born William Beck, in 1941, Liverpool died 23 December 1996). The
band had regular bookings at Liverpool's Iron Door Club as 'Johnny Sandon and the Searchers'.

Sandon left the band in late 1961 to join The Remo Four in February 1962. The group settled into a quartet sharing the
vocal lead and billed simply as 'The Searchers'. They continued to play at the Iron Door, The Cavern, and other
Liverpool clubs. Like many similar acts they would do as many as three shows at different venues in one night. They
negotiated a contract with the Star-Club in the St. Pauli district Hamburg for 128 days, with three one-hour
performances a night, starting in July 1962.

The band returned to a residency at the Iron Door Club and it was there that they tape-recorded the sessions that led to
a recording contract with Pye Records with Tony Hatch as producer. Their first single was issued in US on Mercury, the
second on Liberty without success and then a deal was arranged with U.S. based Kapp Records to distribute their records
in America.

Hatch played piano on some recordings and wrote "Sugar and Spice"-the band's second number one record-under
the pseudonym Fred Nightingale; a secret he kept from the band at the time.

After scoring with their hit "Needles and Pins", bassist Tony Jackson was fired from the band and was replaced
by Hamburg pal Frank Allen (born Francis Renaud McNeice, 14 December 1943, Hayes, Middlesex) from Cliff Bennett and the
Rebel Rousers.

Chris Curtis left the band in 1966 and was replaced by the Keith Moon-influenced John Blunt, who in turn was replaced by
Billy Adamson in 1970. In 1967, Curtis formed a new band called Roundabout with keyboard player Jon Lord and guitarist
Ritchie Blackmore. Although Curtis's involvement in the project was short-lived, Roundabout would eventually evolve into
Deep Purple the following year.

As musical styles evolved, the Searchers could not keep up and as a result, the hits ran out. While they continued to
record for Liberty Records and RCA Records, they ended up on the British "Chicken in a Basket" circuit,
although they did score a minor US hit in 1971 with "Desdemona".

The group continued to tour through the 1970s and were rewarded in 1979 when Sire Records signed the band to a
multi-record deal. Two albums were released: The Searchers and Play for Today (retitled Love's Melodies outside the UK).
Both records garnered critical acclaim but did not break into the charts. They did, however, revive the group's
career.

According to John McNally, the band were ready to head into the studio to record a third album for Sire when they were
informed that due to label reorganization, their contract had been dropped. It was, in fact, because so few people
bought the second album, although it was beloved by fans.

In 1981, the band signed to PRT Records (formerly Pye, their original label) and began recording an album. But only one
single, "I Don't Want To Be The One" backed with "Hollywood", ended up being released. The rest of
the tracks would be included as part of 2004's 40th Anniversary collection.

Soon after the PRT release, Mike Pender left the group amidst great acrimony and now tours as Mike Pender's Searchers.
McNally and Allan recruited former First Class vocalist Spencer James to fill Pender's shoes.

In 1988, Coconut Records signed The Searchers and the album Hungry Hearts was the result. It featured updated remakes of
"Needles and Pins" and "Sweets For My Sweet" plus live favorite "Somebody Told Me You Were
Crying". While the album was not a major hit, it did keep the group in the public eye.

The band continues to tour with Eddie Rothe replacing Adamson on drums and is considered to be one of the most popular
1960s bands on the UK concert circuit. The Searchers incorporate full band electric performances with an acoustic set as
well. Creating ample amounts of confusion, former Searchers lead singer Mike Pender also tours, but with his new full
band electric outfit Mike Pender's Searchers, as they perform hits of the Searchers and some new material of their own.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Searchers_(band)